Raffe sail for boats

ABSTRACT

A sail for a boat rigged to present a horizontal rather than a vertical luff. The sail is triangular, one edge being attached to a yard which is supported from a mast in a horizontal position. The yard is formed as an air foil so that the horizontal luff produces a lifting force on the yard. One apex of the triangular sail is sheeted so that it bellies out with the upper part extending forwardly so that the wind pressure produces an upward thrust on an area of the sail tending to lift the bow of the boat.

United States Patent 1 1 Stangeland 1March 13, 1973 1 1 RAFFE SAIL FORBOATS 20,233 5/1858 Very ..114 104 [76] Inventor: Phillip F. Stahgeland,121 I Wavecrest Avenue, Venice, Calif. Primary Exami"e'TrYgVe BhxAttorney-Herzig & Walsh [22] Filed: Nov. 27, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 93,084ABSTRACT A sail for a boat rigged to present a horizontal rather [52]U.S.C1 ..114/102 7 h n a ver i al luff. The sail is triangular, one edge[51] Int. Cl. ..B63h 9/04 being attached to a yard which is supportedfrom a [58] Field of Search....1 14/89, 90, 91, 102, 103, 104, mast in ahorizontal position. The yard is formed as an 114/105, 39; 244/42 R airfoil so that the horizontal luff produces a lifting force on the yard.One apex of the triangular sail is References Cited sheeted so that itbellies out with the upper part ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS tendingforwardly so that the wind pressure produces 1 an upward thrust on anarea of the sail tending to lift 3,066,894 12/1962 Davidson ..244/42 Rthe bow of the boat.

758,171 4/1904 Collins ...ll4/102 3,310,017 3/1967 Dyer ..114/102 X 3Claims, 9 Drawing Figures RAFFE SAIL FOR BOATS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to the construction of sails for sailing vesselsand, more particularly, the rigging of the particular sail of theinvention.

In the preferred form of the invention, the sail is triangular, one sideedge being affixed to the trailing edge of a yard which is positionedhorizontally to present a horizontal luff and further the yard beingformed as an air foil to provide lifting effect on it. The yard iscentered horizontally and supported at the top of the mast presentingthe horizontal luff. Its clew located at one apex of the triangle issheeted off the bow of the vessel.

While great advances have been made in the art of sails and rigging, thepresent state of the art is reflected in techniques of getting yachts tosail closer to the wind. The art is a story of the evolution of verticalluff sails. Vertical luff means that the leading edge of the sail withrespect to the wind is vertical. Since ancient times, however, theprinciples of down wind sailing remain the same, that is, when the windgoes aft of the beam, the sails are trimmed square or perpendicular tothe wind and the vessel under them as in ancienttimes still just getspushed along. The limitations involved here derive from the fact thatsails trimmed square to the wind as in the case of all downwind sailingtoday operate under stall. This means that as the wind pipes up orincreases, wind vortexes swirl alternatingly from the sides of thestalledsail causing the boat under them to roll. This is especiallynoticeable in spinnakers which also by fulcrum effect, force the bow ofthe vessel downwards. The primary object of the invention is to providea distinct improvement in sails for sailing and in the rigging of thesail whereby to cause the sail to produce an upward thrust on the bow ofthe boat; to thereby make steerage way easy and safe while avoidingaccidental gybes and spinnaker knockdowns; and further to stabilize thevessel with respect to pitch and roll and to eliminate or minimize stalleffect.

A further object is to provide a sail presenting a horizontal luff, thesail securedto a yard formed as an air foil to provide lift, the sailbeing triangular and having one apex thereof sheeted to the bow of avessel.

A further object is to enable the improvements as defined herein toenable a vessel to sail at higher speeds, to improve stability and tosail more directly off i the wind.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and additionaladvantages of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bow view of the arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the arrangement of the invention from abeam;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the improved sail and rigging of theinvention;

FIG. 4, 4a, 4b and 4c are views of typical prior art sail rigsillustrating the stall effect and the tendency to pull the bow of thevessel into the water; and

FIGS. 5 and 5a are views illustrating the improved characteristics ofthe sail and rigging of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the various figures of the drawings, numeral10 designates a vessel having the improved sail and rigging of theinvention. Numeral 12 designates the mast of the vessel. Numeral 14designates a yard rigged from the mast 12. Mast 12 is stayed by headstayl6 and backstay 18 and the outer edges of the yard are guyed by guylines 20 and 22. The vessel may be one having a hull of any type havingtypical construction as to characteristics such as amount of free board,gunwhales, bowsprit, stern, cockpit, decking, etc.

The yard 14 is formed as an air foil having a configuration as shownhaving a rounded leading upper edge and surface so as to create an airflow which produces a lifting force on the upper surface as in anairplane wing. In other words, the yard presents a horizontal luff. Sail30 is triangular as shown. One straignt edge portion is suitably securedto the air foil 14. In the preferred form of the invention as shown, oneapex 32 is sheeted to the bow of the vessel by a sheet 34.

Additional sails of typical construction may be provided or used asdesignated at 35 and 36 which are triangular sails rigged to the mastand having booms 37 and 38. These sails may be sheeted and otherwiserigged conventionally.

FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c illustrate typical prior art squaresail marconisail, and spinnaker rigs, and the characteristic stall effectsassociated with them. FIG. 4 illustrates how such rigs tend to cause thebow of the vessel to be pulled down into the water.

FIGS. 5 and 5a illustrate the usage or operation of the improved sailand rigging of the invention. The apex 32 of the sail is sheeted so thatthe wind bellies it out as shown so that the upper part of the sail isextended forward so that there is a substantial surface area at theupper part of the sail which is generally horizontal as shown. The forceof the wind thus produces an upward thrust or lifting force which whenexerted through the sheet tends to lift the bow of the vessel asillustrated in FIG. 5. The effect produced, therefor, is easilyunderstood. All of the objects as referred to in the foregoing arerealized. Preferably at the ends of yard there are providedconfigurations as shown which act as spoilers which serve to preventvortexes and eddy currents so that these devices add to the directionalstability produced by the sail and its rigging. The pitch and rollcharacteristics of the vessel are improved by reason of minimization ofthe stall effect characteristic of known types of sails and theoscillation is reduced. Typical prior art sails, particularlyspinnakers, fulcrumed at the top of the mast exert a force tending topull the bow of the boat downwardly. This effect is eliminated andreversed in the sail and rigging of the herein invention. The tendencyof the boat to flounder is thus eliminated or minimized. The effectfurther is that the boat can sail closer to the wind at higher speedswith the improved stability as described.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form ofinvention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than alimiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of theclaims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a sailing vessel, a sail rigged to a mast, the sailbeing constructed and arranged to extend a substantial distancelaterally and generally horizontally at the upper part of the sail, thelower part of the sail having sheeting means whereby to cause the sailto belly forwardly with an area at the upper part of the sail extendingforwardly so that the wind pressure exerts an upward thrust on the sailcausing the sheeting means to lift the bow of the vessel, said upperedge part of the sail being positioned to provide a horizontal luff, alaterally positioned yard to which the sail is secured,

extremeties of the yard to prevent vortexes and eddy currents.

3. A sailing rig, including a sail, as in claim 1, including additionalconventional sails rigged to a mast.

1. For use with a sailing vessel, a sail rigged to a mast, the sailbeing constructed and arranged to extend a substantial distancelaterally and generally horizontally at the upper part of the sail, thelower part of the sail having sheeting means whereby to cause the sailto belly forwardly with an area at the upper part of the sail extendingforwardly so that the wind pressure exerts an upward thrust on the sailcausing the sheeting means to lift the bow of the vessel, said upperedge part of the sail being positioned to provide a horizontal luff, alaterally positioned yard to which the sail is secured, the yard beingsupported from a mast, said yard being formed as an air foil whereby thehorizontal luff provides a lifting force on the yard and the upper partof the sail.
 1. For use with a sailing vessel, a sail rigged to a mast,the sail being constructed and arranged to extend a substantial distancelaterally and generally horizontally at the upper part of the sail, thelower part of the sail having sheeting means whereby to cause the sailto belly forwardly with an area at the upper part of the sail extendingforwardly so that the wind pressure exerts an upward thrust on the sailcausing the sheeting means to lift the bow of the vessel, said upperedge part of the sail being positioned to provide a horizontal luff, alaterally positioned yard to which the sail is secured, the yard beingsupported from a mast, said yard being formed as an air foil whereby thehorizontal luff provides a lifting force on the yard and the upper partof the sail.
 2. A sail as in claim 1, including spoiler means at theextremeties of the yard to prevent vortexes and eddy currents.